Annual Senior Thanksgiving lunch draws double the crowd
Published 12:22 pm Monday, November 25, 2013
“I’m staying away from the carbs,” laughed Lolly Hibbs, pointing to her plate of Thanksgiving favorites: mashed potatoes, yam, rolls, cranberry sauce and turkey.
A Mercer Island resident since 1970, Hibbs was one of about 125 seniors and community members who turned out for the City’s Parks and Recreation’s annual senior Thanksgiving lunch. The feast was followed by pumpkin and pecan pie, and a round of bingo. For guests, the chance to be waited on was a welcome indulgence.
“Everyone loves the food. They love just coming and sitting at a table and being served,” said city staff member Jeannette Eggebrecht, who organized much of Thursday’s event. “Some of them are newly widowed. A man that I was just talking to recently lost his wife and these little things we can do make a big difference.”
In the kitchen were Parks and Rec staff and volunteers from the Women’s Club. Bus service was available for those who needed transportation.
“This senior program gets five stars because of Jeannette,” said Char Fox of Mercer Island. Fox estimated that it was her seventh or eighth Thanksgiving lunch. Aside from the food, one of the things she looks forward to most, is the camaraderie: “You get to see people that you only see once a year.”
